A Place of Delight and Rest

All are Welcome in 

this Place

Click on the image above to hear the song.

Let us build a house where love can dwell

And all can safely live.

A place where saints and children tell

How hearts learn to forgive.

Built of hopes and dreams and visions,

Rock of faith and vault of grace;

Here's the love of Christ shall end divisions:

     Ref: All are welcome, all are welcome, 
all are welcome in this place.

Let us build a house where prophets speak,

And words are strong and true,

Where all God's children dare to seek

To dream God's reign anew.

Here the cross shall stand as witness

And as symbol of God's grace;

Here as one we claim the faith of Jesus:

     Ref: All are welcome, all are welcome, 
all are welcome in this place.

Let us build a house where love is found

In water, wine and wheat:

A banquet hall on holy ground,

Were peace and justice meet.

Here the love of God, through Jesus,

Is revealed in time and space;

As we share in Christ the feast that frees us.
       Ref: All are welcome, all are welcome, 
all are welcome in this place.

Let us build a house where hands will reach 

Beyond the wood and stone

To heal and strengthen, serve and teach.

And live the word they've known.
Here the outcast and the stranger

Ber the image of God's face;

Let us bring an end to fear and danger:

     Ref: All are welcome, all are welcome, 
all are welcome in this place.

Let us build a house where all are named,

"I baptize you in the name of . . . "

Their songs and visions heard

And loved and treasured, taught and claimed

As words within the the Word.

Built of tears and cries and laughter,

Prayers of faith and songs of grace.

Let this house proclaim from floor to rafter:

     Ref: All are welcome, all are welcome, 
all are welcome in this place.

Text: Marty Haugen, ©1950

In my now 5 months of living with the Sisters of Visitation Monastery in Minneapolis, the one thing that has impressed me more than anything else is the fact that in this place truly all are welcome. All kinds of people come here: priests, professionals, and homeless people. Families who have comfortable lives. Families who live in great deprivation. All are treated, not only with respect, but as incarnations of Jesus. It is humbling to live in such a way. I remember hearing that "God is no respecter of persons," when I was a child, and being told that that meant God loves everybody the same. And I would have thought myself an inclusive and accepting person until I came here. I know better now. I have made distinctions between persons without even realizing it. And I have been afraid of people who were very different from me. Being here is changing me. I have a long way to go to get to the place where I would like to be. But I realize again that I want to be like the Visitation Sisters of N. Minneapolis. I wouldn't have known that if I hadn't come here for their "monastic immersion experience."

- - 

Last Saturday there was a baptism at the monastery - a relative of one of the Sisters.

Fr. Michael anointing the baby.

A neighbor coming in to see and greet the baby and parents.

And while the reception was going on, one of the neighbors dropped by and was introduced. The Sisters speak of these occasions as "bridging." I loved seeing the parallels in these two images - of the priest bending over the baby to anoint her - and the neighbor bending in almost identical posture to gesture to the baby as parents were opening gifts.

Thanksgiving week has been quite a busy time! Every day has had so much going on! Turkey Tuesday, for instance, when friends from out at Mendota Heights at the Visitation Academy there arrived with huge cardboard boxes the size of laundry baskets, filled with food - enough for 150 families! And each box of food came with a turkey and a pan to bake it in. A team of neighbors had made up maps showing where the 150 families lived: a group of Vis girls and a couple of the neighbors would pile into a car with all the fixings for 3 or 4 Thanksgiving dinners and head out to deliver them. A prayer card was placed in each basket - so when the girls and their helpers arrived, they were ready for a visit with the family and they all shared a prayer together. In between assignments, they'd come into the house for hot apple cider and a couple of cookies, pick up the next set of addresses and head out again! It was something to see!

This is what it looked like
when they were more than
half done!

Our VIP Anna was one of the
workers on Turkey Tuesday.

The chapel set up for Morning Prayer the
day of Renewal of Vows. That's the
Constitution containing their "rule" at the
base of the cruciform Christ.

Getting set up for Thanksgiving
morning mass.

Thanksgiving morning there was Morning Prayer, followed by another mass - this time relatives of some of the Sisters and Anna's family joined us - and another brunch to follow. And then an open house at Girard for another Sister's family. And then Evening Prayer followed by Thanksgiving Dinner at 5 PM - we had 14 places set.

Lingering over dessert.

Whew! These Sisters have stamina - and hospitality is at the heart of their life.

St. Jane de Chantal wrote on the wall of the first Visitation Monastery, 
this is a place of delight and rest . . . 

and it's true! 
It's a place of delight and rest for the heart, 
no matter how hard you work at it.

All are welcome . . . in this place!

Be sure to read the Visitation Monastery blog!

Gospel and Jazz on the Lawn - Alafia Place, Minneapolis

One of the most remarkable people I have ever met is Mary Johnson.  Mary's son was killed many years ago by another young African American man. Years later, Mary, who knew her Bible, and who knew Jesus's admonition to us that we really must forgive those who have wronged us, went to the prison where her son's murderer had been living for 10 years. She spent two hours there getting to know him. And out of that encounter, she forgave him.

.

He is now out of prison - and both live in Alafia Place, a little apartment building in Minneapolis. One of my most wonderful experience here in Minneapolis was attending the annual "Gospel and Jazz on the Lawn" event a couple of weeks ago; it was hosted by Brian Mogren, director of St. Jane House, the Visitation Sisters spirituality center.

The evening included a wonderful dinner, a beautifully decorated garden, and fantastic music, featuring Robbie Robinson, a wonderful gospel singer.

The event is held yearly to support the ministry of Mary Johnson, the founder of From Death to Life. Mary has pulled together the mothers (and some fathers) of young people killed by violence in this area - and the mothers of those who have committed violence. They meet regularly at St. Jane House for healing prayer and community. During the course of the evening, Mary called up the members of her community, and, one at a time, they spoke the names of their children, and told when and how they lost them - because, as Mary says, the mothers of both the victims and the victimizers lose their children. It was a beautiful sight to see.

Mary and Oshea Israel, the young man she forgave and now calls her second son, go together to speak to young people, or to people in prison. Mary went to Washington, D.C. recently to speak to the question of whether minors should ever be sentenced to life in prison. The Supreme Court Justices, as we now know, agreed with her that teenagers have not yet developed sufficiently to be fully responsible for their actions, and that, therefore, it is unconstitutional for them to be sentenced to life imprisonment. I am told that Mary has been invited to Assisi, Italy, to speak at a conference on forgiveness sometime this year.

I am so delighted to get to meet her - and visit with her from time to time, because she does show up at Visitation often, and is a good friend of the Sisters.

She's an amazing woman, and a real inspiration to me. Because I, too, believe we are called to forgive our enemies. I don't find that easy - but if Mary Johnson could forgive Oshea Israel, I should be able to forgive those who haven't done me  anywhere near that kind of harm.

So in support of her ministry, Brian Mogran hosts this wonderful party each year: Gospel and Jazz on the Lawn. What a wonderful, vibrant group of people were there! Mary's group, the sisters from Visitation Monastery, neighbors, friends, and supporters. It was marvelous and fun!

 The music was incredible. Robbie Robinson's voice is like liquid velvet chocolate! And his marvelous faith pours out of him and into all his listeners! I've never heard anyone that inspired me more. And before the evening was over, I was dancing, too!  With the sisters! With Brian!

When Mary's friends started sharing, there was hardly a dry eye in the town! Those women - and some men - have truly suffered and have chosen to forgive. Wow!

The sisters' charism is to "Live Jesus," and it just happens that way in North Minneapolis! Mary says "forgiveness" is the new "f-" word. I hear it a lot in this neighborhood - mixed into the cacophany of violence and anger and poverty and troubles. Makes me experience that "the Kingdom of Heaven" is truly among us. We live in mystery of good and bad - but when the good shines out it is truly amazing.

 Before the evening was over there were games. Miss Linda (Goynes) who is a Visitation Companion was the grand winner! She's dancing up a storm here in celebration (pink sweater). (I so wish I could have shared the music with you, too, but if you don't sort of hear it while seeing these pictures, I'd be surprised.)



And, of course, there had to be one round with Brian and Mary. And finally Sr. Mary Frances took the floor with the rest and the dance went on into the dark of night.

Who would have guessed that nuns had so much fun???






As we left, we passed the "Memory Tree," where earlier in the evening, pictures of children lost to violence in the neighborhood were displayed.

Saturday morning in the neighborhood-North Minneapolis

Visitation Monastery follows a regular schedule: we gather together four times every day to pray the Divine Office. Morning prayer on weekdays is at 7. On Saturdays it's at 8, and on Sundays 8:30. We either have a mass celebrated here at the Monastery or we go out to a neighboring parish. On Saturday mornings we generally have a Communion Service. Dinner is at 6:15. But in and around those regularly scheduled practices, all sorts of other things happen. THIS Saturday, August 25, was one such day!

So this Saturday morning, we gathered at 8, and several neighbors and friends joined us. We had a busy morning planned since the annual Back-to-School party was scheduled to begin at 1 PM.

Urban League Parade comes down Girard Street!

But there was more! The Urban League sponsored a community parade which came down Girard Street where I am living. It was a great little community parade - with lots of young people from drum groups, dance companies, politicians leafleting the neighborhood as their supporters marched in their support.
A couple of car clubs drove their cool cars, filled with family members and friends, past our house.

Neighbors followed the parade course down the sidewalk past our house.

Brian Mogren and friends followed Mary Johnson, riding in a truck, carrying signs for the Death to Life group, led by the Mad Dads. (The Mad Dads are very large African American men who wear bright green T-shirts say MAD DAD! They hear some trouble is brewing on the corner of 18th and whatever, they tend to just be there. Just looking at Mad Dads takes a lot out of a group of youngsters looking for trouble!) 

This float featured a young Native American dancer.

This one's a high-stepping drill team.

Congressman Keith Ellison and his contingent were at the very end of the parade, passing out campaign literature as they paraded along. Ellison is the only Muslim member of Congress, and he's a dear friend of the Visitation Sisters. He stopped for a visit with them. I was pleased to meet him. He told me that his mother had been raised a Catholic, and "she loved those Nuns!" So we had someone take a picture of us all together.

But that was just in the morning. There was more to come!

The Back-to-School Party

Many years ago a family from the suburbs visited North Minneapolis. A young girl in the family took it all in. Later she told her parents, "I already have everything I want. From now on, I want to give parties for kids who don't have everything they need instead of having more parties for myself." She meant it, and her parents cooperated. That was 17 years ago. She's grown up now and living her adult life. Her mother continues the tradition. She gives four parties a year for the children of North Minneapolis in our neighborhood, and they are done through Visitation Monastery. In the fall, it's the Back-to-School Party.

Saturday afternoon, about 75 invited children and their parents arrived at the Monastery for the annual party. Some of the parents were children themselves who came to this party when they were small. It's not just a give-away. It's a PARTY! There are GAMES! Lots of games! Jump-rope and miniature golf, bean bag and ring-toss! Something about little ducks floating in a bowl of water - and ping-pong balls being thrown into tiny gold-fish bowls. Dice, bowling, and more! In 17 years it has never rained for this party. This year it did. So at the last minute, the games - most of them - had to be moved into Girard House. That was interesting! A team of teenagers who ran the games had a training session in the morning. 

And then the invited guests started arriving at neighbor Bob's garage to register, and then pick out a back-pack from the dozens of brightly colored ones available. Then, on to Girard House where they packed into the downstairs and the basement below to play games to "win" the supplies to fill them up (in these games everybody wins!). Notebook paper, binders, pee-chees, ball-point pens, erasers, pencil sharpeners, crayons, marker, calculators, protractors - there were enough school supplies here to stock a Costco's! 

And the teen leaders encouraged them to keep trying to land those purple beanbags into the purple cereal bowls, or take one more try at landing all three ping-pong balls into their little gold-fish bowls. Little boys swung unfamiliar miniature golf clubs at little plastic golf-balls.

 After all the games were played and all the prizes won, the whole group was called over to Neighbor Bob's for treats and door prizes - and a prayer together.

And THEN it was time for the teen helpers to get their reward! Backpacks, school supplies - and gift cards for Target for school shopping!  

And then they were all gone, and there was a bit of cleaning up to do. Our wonderful donor and her adult helpers took off and the rest of us went to Evening Prayer at Fremont House!  And then dinner. And then downstairs to watch a movie in the TV room in the basement. Something about saving whales. I was tired. Had trouble keeping awake. Life here is always interesting, stimulating - exhausting!

 But I love the way the day is framed and punctuated by prayer. It's a wonderful way to live.

p.s. there were enough school supplies left over - and enough school back-packs - for us to pack up 35 more of them which we handed out today to those who had not registered in time for the party yesterday. I spent Monday handing them out and checking them off the list. It was a great way to spend the day!

This is my "Monastic Immersion Experience." Priceless!

For more information on the Back-to-School Party, click here.

http://www.visitationmonasteryminneapolis.org/about-us/photo-gallery/album/72157630552792708/summer-family-olympics/